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"Without the Nile there is no life"

Thu, 2017-01-19 16:21

As construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam continues, Egypt’s farmers brace for further drought and infertile lands.

In his small straw cottage, farmer Mostafa Metwally waited for his turn to irrigate his "thirsty" half-feddan (acre) of land in Quloba village, in the Upper Egyptian province of Minya. The 70-year-old farmer plants sugar cane and wheat in the winter season:

"My harvest is no longer as profitable as before due to the current shortage of water," a problem he said is not new, but goes back 20 years.

Farmers in the southern province complain about a severe shortage of water that is expected to escalate when Ethiopia finishes the construction of the $4.1 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is expected to be completed by July.

A rapidly growing population struggling over a fixed supply of water, climate change, and antiquated irrigation systems are some of the reasons behind the water shortage that has left farmers high and dry.

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